Susan LaffertyIt’s 2013. I sit in the easy chair and contemplate upcoming travels. Across the ocean. Our way of life means moving back and forth.
And adjusting to changes between two different worlds. Parallel universes, really.
We are heading back into the intensity of culture and color and music that is South Asia. The constant calendar of religious festivals. The daily encounter with spiritual worship of every variety.
The relentless dust.
Picking through pieces of my journal, I come across a scattering of words. Spiraling down the page in quick succession. Heart cry detailing the inner work of surrender. Submission. Worship.
“Did you hear what she just said? Listen.”
It’s back in the ‘90s. I’m participating in a counseling workshop in Karachi. Led by a woman from the UK whose counseling ministry is all about listening.
She instructs us on the importance of fully taking in what someone is sharing with you. Don’t try to give answers. Don’t start telling your own story.
Just listen.